LOS ANGELES, June 18 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc should be able to reduce the number of commercials during programming on its newly acquired Time Warner networks by using wireless and TV customer data to target personalized advertisements, John Stankey, the longtime AT&T executive who will run the networks, said in an interview on Monday.

The wireless phone giant plans to start selling targeted ads for Turner networks such as TNT and CNN "in short order," said Stankey, chief executive of the new WarnerMedia. An industry-wide, automated marketplace, which would sell ads across other companies' channels, is "easily a year off,” he said. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by James Dalgleish)